Tub support



July W. P. JQHNSON TUB SUPPORT Filed May 6, 1951 Patented July 18, 1933 PATENT oFFlcE y WILLIAM `1 JOHNSON, or `Das MOINES, IOWA TUB SUPPORT Application ledMay 6, 1931. Serial No. 535,403.

The object of this invention is to provide an improved support for a laundry tub whereby the tub is supported'at a suitable elevation and is readily movable for use in carrying out domestic laundry operations.

More specifically, the object of this invention is to provide improved means for bracing the lower ends of the legs of an elevated tub.

Still another object is to provide an improved and outstandingly simple method of assembling vbraces relative to legs of an elevated tub legs.

lWith these and other objects in view my invention consists in the construction, arrangement and combination of the various parts of my device, whereby the objects conn templated are attained, ashereinafter more fully set forth, pointed out in my claims, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of a tub having a three-leg support embodying my invention.

Figure 2 is an enlarged section on the line 2-2 of Figure 1, illustrating particularly the method of assembling a leg, caster and braces.

' Figure 8 is a horizontal section illustrating a method of -bracinga four-leg tub support.

Figure 4 is a perspective view of one end portion of a brace employed in carrying out my invention.

It has been common practice recently to provide means for supporting ordinary wash tubs by means of legs, usually equipped with casters, in order to provide a convenient portable elevated tub for domestic laundry purposes.

At times it has been found diflicult to properly attach and brace the legs which are employed for the support and to construct a suitable support having sullicient strength and rigidity without involving too much expense. ltlypresent invention relates particularly to a simple and eective means for bracing the lower ends of the legs.

In the accompanying drawing I have shown a sheet metal tub 10 of common form which may be equipped with an outlet hose 12 in conjunction with castersfor the communicating with its bottom for discharg ing water from the tub.

' A plurality of legs 14 are provided and are uniformly spaced around the tub. r-is here shown, the legs 14 are made of structural 5; angle iron and in the type shown in Figure 1 they are three in number. The legs 1e may be attached to tie tub in any suitable manner.

In accordance with my invention each leg 14 is pressed or .rolled at its lower end to pro- 6@ videasubstantially cylindrical bearing portionl 1G which is preferably arranged in substantially vertical position, although major portions of the legs may be obliquely ranged in spreading relation. y 6

AA caster socket or sleeve 18 is mounted in each of the bearing portions 1G and firmly held therein by frictional contact. The socket member 18 is provided at its lower end with. an enlargement 19 which may be in the nature 70 of a disc or shoulder thereon. Each castersoclret or sleeve 18 is adapted to receive the stem 2O of a swivel caster 22.

A plurality of braces 24 are provided for connecting the'lower end portions of the legs 75 in mutually bracing relations.

Each brace 24 preferably is formed of a strip of mecal of suitable weight and the major portion of each brace preferably is formed concavo-convei: in cross section to 30, lend strength and rigidity. i

Each brace 2li has a flattened portion 26 at each end formed with a circular opening 28. The openings 28 are of suihcient size to readily receive one of the caster sockets 18 e5` employed for the legs.

In assembling the casters and braces to the lower ends of the legs, the sockets 18 are inserted through the openings 28 of the braces before being placed in position in the bearing portions 16 of the iegs. The enlargement 19 l socket member thus engages beneath on tneand providesa support for the brace.

In the event it is desired to arrange the braces 211 in series of polygonal form with 95 relation to the legs, the ends 26 of two of the braces may be arranged in overlapping relation and the socliet 18 inserted through the openings 28 of both of said braces. This arrangement is particularly desired when the tub is provided with three legs 14C as shown in Figure l and the overlapping relation of the braces alsois illustrated also in Figure 2.

In the event the tub is provided With four legs it may be convenient to employ only tWor of the braces 24 and to arrange them in diagonal formation as shown in Figure 3. In thisv event each leg will have only one brace associated with its lower end and the two braces will cross at the center of the structure Where they may be interconnected by any suitable means such as a bolt 30. f

This method of forming and mounting the braces provides a simple and very inexpensive bracing structure which is highly effective for rigidly interconnecting the lower ends of the legs and providing a rigid form of tub support. j

It will be understood that vit is a simple operation to manufacture the braces 2Li- With their fiat apertured ends 26 and that a relatively small amountof material is required therefor. The outstanding advantage of this type of bracing, however, lies in the ease and simplicity of the assembling operation. It is desirable to employ the casters for convenience in moving the tub about on a floor legs. It is obvious that the braces cannot become detached from ther legs so long as the caster sockets are in place. To this end the caster sockets 18 preferably fit very snugly in the bearing portions 16, Which may be formed in such manner as to be capable of some spreading movement When the tight itting caster sleeves are inserted therein.

I claim as my invention l. In a support of the type including a plurality'of` legs, each leg formed With a socketed opening at its lower end, a caster socket member adapted to be mounted in said soeketed opening and arranged to receive a caster stem, a leg brace formed of a strip of metal formed substantially concavo-convex in section and flattened at each end and having at each attened end an opening through which a socket member is inserted before mounting in its socl'reted opening, for thereby Vconjunctively `assembling the socket member and brace to the leg.

2. In a device having a plurality of spaced supporting members and a caster connected with each of said members for sWiv-eling movement, a bracing structure comprising brace bars arranged to connect said supporting members in pairs, each brace bar being formedof a strip substantially concave-convei: in section and having substantially plane end portions, each of said end portions being formed with an opening therethrough to receive a portion of the caster before it is inserted in its supporting member, for conj unc-tively assembling the caster and brace bar to the supporting member.

WILLIAM P. JOHNSON. 

